New veterans careers programme launched by University of Hull and Hull 4 Heroes partnership

• Open Day: for Hull Veterans Career Transition Programme on Wednesday 23 October (from 1pm) at Hull 4 Heroes Drop in Centre, Princes Quay, Hull.

Veterans and their families are set to benefit from a new career transition programme launched by the University of Hull and Hull 4 Heroes, a charity supporting the Armed Forces Community in Hull and East Yorkshire.

Funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, the new accredited training programme focuses on career development and is designed specifically for veterans and their families who wish to transition from professions in the armed forces to new, fulfilling career paths in the region.

Dr Catherine Wynne, who is teaching on the programme along with colleagues from Business, Policing, Education, Creative Writing, History and the University’s Student Futures team, said: “The Hull Veterans Career Transition Programme (VCTA) is an exciting new initiative developed by Hull 4 Heroes and the University of Hull. It is an accredited training programme specifically designed to support veterans in making a career change after serving in the Armed Forces and to harness their existing skills to support them in developing alternative career paths in the Humber region and beyond.”

The University of Hull is working in close partnership with Hull 4 Heroes to deliver a programme that is tailored for the specific career development potential of veterans and their family members (veterans’ partners and children of veterans over the age of 18 not in full-time education), enabling them to leverage their experience, skills, and interests to embark on a new career.

Helen Skinner, Armed Forces Hub Manager, said: “We are excited to be partnering with the University of Hull on this exciting new course. Sometimes, people leaving the forces do not see their transferable skills and the benefits they can bring to a workplace. This bespoke course will allow veterans and their family members to identify their skills and offer an insight into career paths they may not have considered available to them.”

The University of Hull-Hull 4 Heroes’ Veterans Career Transition programme, which will be delivered on campus at the University of Hull and Hull 4 Heroes, will provide a thorough foundation for preparing participants to enter the workforce outside of the armed forces. It will support them in identifying suitable opportunities for fulfilling careers, and pathways to achieve these. The programme will include:

• Skill identification and development: this will help participants identify the valuable skills and abilities they have cultivated through their careers in the armed forces, such as decision-making, leadership, analytical thinking, logistics, teaching, teamwork, medical care, innovation, originality, stress tolerance, resilience.
• Career pathways: Participants will explore career opportunities outside of the armed forces that align with their interests and strengths.
• Practical support: The programme includes training in CV writing, interview skills, presentation skills, research skills and exploring career opportunities in the region.

Participants will also gain exposure to a wide range of occupational opportunities through Hull 4 Heroes’ extensive occupational connections in various workplace environments; and the University of Hull’s breadth of expertise in business.

The project forms part of the national government-backed employment scheme for veterans and their families, OP PROSPER. The government scheme, which is designed to ensure equal access to employment opportunities for ex-service personnel and their families across the UK, is aimed at encouraging businesses to employ veterans in areas such as cyber, digital, manufacturing, energy, and financial and professional services.

Strong business connections in the area, developed by the University and Hull4Heroes, will play an important role in the delivery of the programme.

Dr Wynne said: “Our region has an incredibly strong and supportive network of businesses, charities, voluntary and private sector organisations. It is hoped that they will really get behind this initiative to provide opportunities for veterans from this programme and help unlock the extensive skills and expertise that veterans already have.”

Tony Bowler is an Army veteran who completed tours of duty in West Berlin just prior to fall of the Berlin Wall, before service two years in Northern Ireland during ‘The Troubles’. His last posting as two years in Catterick before returning to civilian life in 1989.

As director of his own business in Hull, The Business Culture HEY, Tony’s mission is to connect people to support one another to develop their businesses, creating a supportive networking community. He said: “Many ex-services personnel find the return to civilian life very tough after the excitement and jeopardy of military service. When I started my business, I decided to make it my mission to bring people together as one community, to look out for each other, to help and support each other no matter what the situation.

“The new veterans programme will, in my opinion, allow leaving service personnel and their families to transition into civilian life by allowing them to sample and experience different skillsets without jumping straight into the first job that is offered to them."

The inaugural VCTA training programme is set to begin in early November 2024 for cohort one of four cohorts from 2024 to the end of 2025.

A VCTA Open Day will be held at Hull 4 Heroes Drop in Centre in Princes Quay on Wednesday 23 October from 1pm to encourage veterans and their family members to find out more about changing career paths and preparing for a fulfilling future in a new industry.